


Tropic Storm

by LtTanyaBoone



Category: Pan Am
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-09
Updated: 2012-07-09
Packaged: 2017-11-15 08:29:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/525253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LtTanyaBoone/pseuds/LtTanyaBoone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Ever since they had left the plane, Kate had been fuming and reached boiling point downstairs in the hotel lobby."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tropic Storm

**Disclaimers:** Pan Am, the rights to the show and its characters do not belong to me. No money was made by this.  
 **Spoilers:** tag to 1x04 Eastern Exposure  
 **Pairing:** none, Colette Valois/Kate Cameron friendship

* * *

“She is infuriating!” Kate exclaimed, throwing her hat across the room. She missed one of the two beds and stomped her foot with a frustrated sound. Colette raised an eyebrow at her, taking off her gloves and jacket and toeing out of her shoes. Ever since they had left the plane, her friend had been silently fuming and reached boiling point downstairs in the hotel lobby when Laura and Maggie had decided that they were going to share a room this time around.

“Left or right?” Colette asked Kate as the redhead took off her own shoes. She just made another frustrated sound and went into the bathroom, checking the bathtub, leaving the choice to Colette, who shrugged and started going through her belongings.

“And you know what the worst thing is? She’s acting like this is all my fault!” Kate went on, attempting to unbutton her blouse and stomping her feet again when the little buttons didn’t obey fast enough. Colette quickly abandoned her search for her PJs and went over to her, grabbing her wrists. Kate stared at her for a moment before closing her eyes and drawing a deep breath. She felt Colette let go of her hands and let them fall to her side just when the other woman started undoing her blouse.

“Thanks.” Kate muttered after she felt her friend step away from her.

“You do have that redhead temper after all.” Colette joked, shimmying out of her skirt.

“Yeah, well, can you blame me?” Kate asked, stepping out of her own skirt.

“ _Non_.” her friend shook her head, running a hand through her hair. “I am sure being an older sister is a hard thing sometimes.” she shrugged and Kate bit her lip, guilt rushing through her. Colette was right, Laura and her were lucky to have a sister and to have been such close friends most of their lives. Kate’s anger had rarely been directed at her sister, but at her mother. Now that she was the one taking care of Laura, Kate suddenly found herself pushed to the limit by how naïve her sister was, how inexperienced.

“It’s just, she doesn’t understand it.” Kate muttered, sitting down on her bed. “She just, stalked off. The room looked like someone had broken in; I thought we had been robbed! If you hadn’t told me that you had seen her, I would have completely freaked out.” she shook her head, her hands clenching into the comforter as her friend grabbed her toothbrush and disappeared into the bathroom briefly. “Laura has to understand that her actions have consequences, that she can’t just, leave and let others deal with the fallout.”

Colette made a soft sound, shrugging into the top of her PJs when she returned.

“Yelling at her will not beat the lesson into her head.” she pointed out, lying down on the bed but facing Kate and keeping her eyes open.

“I’m sorry, you’re tired.” the American apologized, taking the pins out of her hair and shaking it out.

“ _Non_ , it’s okay if you want to talk.” her friend said, soft smile firmly in place. Kate laid down and took a few calming breaths.

“What hurts the most is that she said… Laura said that I have it so easy, because no one ever expected anything of me.” she admitted, closing her eyes against the tears that were welling up in them. Back in Jakarta, she had been furious and her hurt had blown into anger a mere second after Laura had uttered those words. Now, though, her anger was dissipating, and Laura was in another room with Maggie, plotting only God knew what shenanigans.

“Kate?” Colette’s soft voice cut through her thoughts and Kate drew a shaky breath, sitting up quickly and pinching the bridge of her nose. “Kate, talk to me.”

She heard Colette get up and felt her sit down next to her on her bed, a hand coming to stroke her shoulder. Kate shook her head, trying to breathe.

“It’s okay.” Colette muttered. Kate looked at her briefly before looking away, pressing her hand over her mouth to stifle her sobs.

“I always had to do everything on my own.” she pressed out, feeling Colette squeeze her shoulder briefly before she went on to rub her back soothingly. “No one told me what to do, but no one ever told me that they were proud of what I did, either. Laura always got plenty of praise, she was always shining so brightly that there was never any room for me. I had to make my own way, I had to make my own choices and pay the consequences, no one there to share the blame when I failed. It was always me who was responsible, _and I managed_.”

“I can relate to that.” her French friend murmured, and Kate made a strangled sound. “And I am sure Laura did not mean to hurt you with her words.”

“She doesn’t think before she speaks any more than she does before she acts.” Kate shook her head, standing and grabbing a handkerchief from her suitcase to dab at her eyes.

“Have you tried to talk to her about it?” Colette asked, scooting over to make room for Kate so the redhead could sit down on the bed. Kate took a deep breath, toying around with her handkerchief before shaking her head. Colette gave a soft sigh and wrapped her arm around Kate, who leaned in and rested her head on her friends shoulder.

“I hate the tropics.” Kate muttered and felt Colette squeeze her shoulder.

“Then it is a good thing we are leaving in two days, _non_?” her French friend muttered, drawing a dry chuckle from the redhead.

“Yeah, probably.” Kate agreed, sighing. “Thanks, Colette.”

“Well, after you listening to me when we returned from Berlin, it’s the least I can do.” she shrugged before changing the subject in an attempt to distract Kate and cheer them both up a little.

 _fin._


End file.
